The Secretary-General arrived in Addis Ababa from New York on Thursday, 16 February, where he would attend the thirty-sixth session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.

On 17 February, the Secretary-General took part in several high-level open and closed events. He addressed the round-table on the Joint Sahel Assessment, the meeting of Heads of State and Government of the African Union Peace and Security Council on the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the High-Level Committee on Libya.

In his remarks to the meeting on Libya, the Secretary-General said that the United Nations has one goal: to secure the right of the Libyan people to live in peace, to vote in free and fair elections, and to share in the prosperity of their country. (See Press Release SG/SM/21690.)

The Secretary-General met that day with Presidents Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda; Hage G. Geingob of the Republic of Namibia; William Samoei Ruto of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces; Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa of the Republic of South Africa; Azali Assoumani of the Union of Comoros and incoming President of the African Union; and Evariste Ndayishimiye of the Republic of Burundi.

On Saturday, 18 February, the Secretary-General delivered remarks during the Summit’s opening ceremony and highlighted important progress taking place on the continent, notably through the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. He also called for action to address peace and security threats, the cost-of-living crisis, as well as the impact of the climate crisis on the continent. See Press Release SG/SM/21691.)

In a press conference in the afternoon, the Secretary-General reiterated the solidarity of the United Nations with the African Union, the African continent and the African people.

On the margins of the Summit, the Secretary-General held bilateral meetings with leaders attending the Summit, including the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat; Presidents Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Faustin Archange Touadera of the Central African Republic; Général Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, President of the transition and Head of State of the Republic of Chad; and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

The Secretary-General traveled back to New York on Sunday, 19 February.

Source: United Nations